Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Everything on a Corn Tortilla

When I first realized I needed to avoid gluten, I was pretty poor and there weren't many gluten free alternatives in the grocery stores. Baking was pretty much impossible in my tiny studio kitchen and the cookbooks and recipes that were around were intimidating and called for a dozen obscure flours before you could even get started. I was a carb junkie and had to have something besides white and brown rice!

I discovered that corn tortillas were naturally gluten free and found a local Chicago company that sold a dozen for 35 cents. I ate corn tortillas constantly. I spread them with Miracle Whip (which was not technically gluten free at the time) and rolled lunch meat and cheese up in them. I made cheese quesadillas to dip in salsa. I made tacos, fajitas, and even enchiladas when I got more adventurous. For a snack when I'd get home late, I'd toast tortillas right on the burner, slather them with hummus and add some cucumber slices. I've even eaten a corn tortilla burger and used a corn tortilla to wrap around a hot dog.

I quickly tired of corn tortillas and craved the soft consistency of wheat flour ones. At about this time, grocery stores expanded their selections and I became a lot better at reading labels. A good kitchen was a priority for me now and I started baking, but mostly from mixes. With added variety in my diet, I enjoyed the occasional corn tortilla but no longer felt that I was torturing myself with them.

I just recently moved to Denver, forcing me to look into different brands of tortillas. Oh, and I'm really poor again so I can't afford to buy fancy pre-made breads. While shopping with a friend, we decided to split a huge pack of tortillas. She insisted on white corn which I had never heard of before. I have been hooked ever since! They have a smoother texture and toast up more like the forbidden wheat flour kind. Or at least what I think I remember they were like...

I have been slowly eating my way through a bag of 50 corn tortillas and loving every bite! I made chicken fajitas using only the spices I had on hand from this recipe. But my favorite new use is for Avotacos. Simply put, I toast two or three tortillas, smear on cream cheese, add slices of avocados, and a dash of salt and pepper. It makes a fantastic breakfast or snack and I am thoroughly addicted. I was going to take a picture of this mornings Avotacos but I over cooked the tortillas and they broke when I folded them in half. It wouldn't have made a pretty picture but I will try again tomorrow to get a nice shot.